The authors outline some of the ways in which they teach student teachers to think about the challenges of abstract concepts in science. They ask the student teachers to think about abstract ideas in a non-science context first, and find they are enabled to discuss and engage (and then later apply) their thinking better. The authors think that…

This study aims to investigate the effects of an integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) unit designed around the issue of sulfide mining on middle school students' socioscientific reasoning competencies (i.e., complexity, perspective taking, inquiry, skepticism, affordances of science). More specifically, students'…

The ability to properly evaluate one's own academic progress has long been considered a predictor of academic success. However, its distinctive role in the context of computational mathematics remains underexplored. Grounded in social cognitive theory, this study investigates the critical role of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies in…

Recent advancements in large language models (LLMs) have shown potential in enhancing educational practices, particularly in technology-assisted learning environments. This study critically evaluates the reasoning capabilities of LLMs, such as ChatGPT, within the context of chemistry education. We designed targeted adversarial prompts that…

An ongoing debate in the literature on human reasoning concerns whether or not the logical status (valid vs. invalid) of an argument can be intuitively detected. The finding that conclusions of logically valid inferences are liked more compared to conclusions of logically invalid ones--called the logic-liking effect--is one of the most prominent…

Mark Creager noticed that how we teach students to reason mathematically may be counter-productive to our teaching goals. Sometimes a linear approach, focusing on sub-processes leading to a proof works well. But not always. Students should be made aware that reasoning is not always a straight forward process, but one filled with false starts and…

The relevance of this article is due to the need to form and develop algorithmic thinking of higher education students as the main requirement of the information society following 21st century skills and competences for new millennium learners. The purpose of the article is to consider algorithmic thinking as a new dimension of learning in higher…

STEM education should be grounded in our knowledge of how students think in STEM-focused learning environments. However, little is currently known regarding specific types of thinking in these contexts. We explore the theoretical notion of STEM Ways of Thinking (SWoT) in interdisciplinary learning situations. Our primary focus is not on the…

The primary objective of this study was to contribute to the growing research discipline investigating the effects of physical exercise on divergent thinking creativity performance. Thirty-two students participated in this two-visit, within-subject intervention. Individuals consented to participate in two randomized, and counterbalanced,…

In this paper, I propose a new construct named "analytic equation sense" to conceptually model a desired way of reasoning that involves students' algebraic manipulations and use of equivalent expressions. Building from the analysis of two existing models in the field, I argue for the need for a new model and use empirical evidence to…

From personalized advertising to economic forecasting, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly important element of our daily lives. These advancements raise concerns regarding the transhumanist perspective and associated discussions in the context of technology-human interaction, as well as the influence of artificial…

Developing scientific literacy, which involves applying scientific knowledge to solve real-world problems, is a primary goal in science education. Socioscientific Issue (SSI) provides students opportunities to reason through authentic and complex scientific dilemmas that reflect real-world issues, thus fostering a deeper understanding of…

Financial literacy is crucial for making sound financial decisions and living a better life. However, the field of finance is full of abstract concepts, such as inflation, liquidity, asset allocation and credit. Abstract concepts may be harder to comprehend than concrete concepts due to their lack of tangible referents in the physical world. In…

Productive engagement in fractional reasoning is essential for abstracting fundamental algebraic concepts vital to college and career success. Yet, data suggest students with learning disabilities (LDs), in particular, display pervasive shortfalls in learning and mastering fraction content. We argue that shortfalls in understanding are in fact…

Purpose: Although the existing literature has explored the link between cognitive functioning and speech recognition in noise, the specific role of fluid intelligence still needs to be studied. Given the established association between working memory capacity (WMC) and fluid intelligence and the predictive power of WMC for speech recognition in…